Imagine a world where the digital age, powering everything from artificial intelligence to our everyday online lives, comes at the steep cost of worsening climate change – that's the unsettling reality facing Georgia today as power demands skyrocket.
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Environmental Advocates Sound the Alarm: More Fossil Fuels Threaten an Already Vulnerable Planet
The Yates Power Plant in Newnan is drawing keen interest from developers eyeing a massive data center spanning 4.9 million square feet in its vicinity. This proposed location sits near a substantial forested zone, and several nearby residents have voiced their concerns about the potential impacts. (Miguel Martinez/AJC 2025)
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With state regulators giving the nod to Georgia Power's ambitious expansion of its power generation to accommodate a surge in data centers, environmental organizations are increasingly alarmed that the majority of this new energy capacity will stem from fossil fuels that contribute to global warming.
In the midst of a fierce competition for artificial intelligence supremacy, data center builders are driving an explosive rise in electricity needs, prompting utilities such as Georgia Power to primarily respond by constructing additional natural gas facilities. (https://www.ajc.com/business/2025/08/georgia-powers-massive-data-center-expansion-includes-a-lot-of-gas/)
But here's where it gets controversial: This boom in data centers is actually rolling back worldwide initiatives to cut down on carbon emissions. The World Meteorological Organization, a United Nations agency, recently disclosed (https://wmo.int/media/news/carbon-dioxide-levels-increase-record-amount-new-highs-2024) that global atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations jumped by 3.5 parts per million from 2023 to 2024.
This spike marks the biggest since precise measurements began in 1957. By June, CO2 readings hit 430 ppm, setting a new record directly observed by experts from the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Scripps maintains these daily logs, known as the Keeling Curve, after the pioneering scientist who launched the monitoring effort.
Bob Sherrier, a legal expert at the Southern Environmental Law Center's Georgia branch, warned that 'five additional methane-powered plants will contaminate our state's air and waterways for generations.'
These natural gas plants form part of a groundbreaking upgrade to Georgia Power's electricity network. The utility has indicated it must incorporate 10,000 megawatts of new generation capacity in the coming five years, representing a remarkable 42% increase to its existing setup.
And this is the part most people miss: While various countries have seen emission hikes at certain points since 2019, the United States stands alone in experiencing such growth this year, as per data from Ember, a division of Ember Energy Research, a London-based think tank that leverages information to promote shifts toward renewable energy.
A significant portion of this anticipated power will supply data centers – vast server-filled warehouses that drive AI and our connected existence. Georgia leads the nation as the top destination for these facilities, requiring energy output on par with that of major urban areas to function smoothly. (https://www.ajc.com/news/2025/08/data-centers-need-a-lot-more-juice-georgia-consumers-fear-being-squeezed/)
Approximately 60% of the 10,000 megawatts will originate from natural gas (https://www.ajc.com/business/2025/10/georgia-power-says-answer-to-states-data-center-surge-is-more-natural-gas/). The remainder will blend solar energy and storage solutions.
Georgia Power executives have highlighted that the firm has slashed greenhouse gas emissions from its plants by over 60% since 2007, and reduced other pollutants by more than 95% since 1990.
The company's parent, Southern Co., aims for net-zero emissions across its operations by 2050. This giant also operates utilities in Alabama and Mississippi.
These states, mirroring Georgia, have actively opposed federal mandates for carbon cuts and clean energy during Democratic presidencies.
Georgia Power maintains that its strategic planning (https://www.ajc.com/business/2025/07/psc-oks-energy-plan-for-georgia-power-locking-in-reliance-on-fossil-fuels/) accounts for both current and upcoming environmental rules, though other elements factor in as well.
'A company spokesperson explained in a statement, 'We are steadily integrating emission-free options (https://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-powers-plan-for-the-future-add-renewables-keep-burning-coal/CJYINXDOJ5HLFEWMTSNC2WDC4I/) while ensuring the grid's dependability for consumers and addressing the rising needs fueled by the state's economic expansion.''
'Currently, we are tackling the sharp uptick in our immediate capacity requirements to handle expanded customer demands,' the company noted, 'which must come from flexible resources – essentially, power stations that can ramp up or down production based on real-time electricity demands.'
For beginners, think of 'dispatchable' power as reliable sources that can be turned on or off like a light switch, unlike renewable energy like solar, which depends on the sun. Traditional plants, including gas, coal, and nuclear, fit this category, running continuously through all weather. Solar can be more consistent when combined with batteries for storage.
Nationwide, power sector emissions started declining as renewables became cheaper than fossil fuels. Public and political pressure also pushed states to set carbon reduction targets.
Clean energy supporters were already uneasy about that decline possibly stalling, but the current upward trend paired with a massive fossil fuel expansion is even more troubling, they've argued.
'We're heading the wrong way,' remarked Stephen Smith, head of the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, in a conversation with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Smith emphasized that many of these developments stem from executive actions under the Trump administration, implying that a new administration could reverse them just as easily.
While this might offer hope for reducing fossil fuel use, Smith cautioned that fresh regulations could pose another challenge for utilities like Georgia Power and their customers: Brand-new gas plants might be forced to shut down prematurely, yet the financial burdens would linger.
'There's a risk of these assets becoming stranded,' Smith pointed out.
'You invest in building them, fueling them, and then face all the expenses tied to operations, only to wonder if they'll be allowed to operate fully.'
The Georgia Public Service Commission (https://www.ajc.com/news/2025/12/georgia-power-psc-strike-deal-to-allow-historic-data-center-expansion/) gave unanimous approval to Georgia Power's plan to enlarge its power generation at a special session on December 19. In a 90-minute open forum, activists and supporters criticized the commissioners for endorsing the utility's vast grid upgrades, which they claim will inflate already steep utility costs and harm the environment.
Critics also argue that constructing numerous gas plants will hinder local authorities and enterprises – including tech giants reliant on data centers – in achieving their renewable energy objectives. These goals demand sourcing electricity from clean sources like solar, rather than methane-dominant natural gas.
During prior sessions, students, medical professionals, and concerned citizens urged the PSC to deny the fossil fuel additions and compel the utility to prioritize renewables.
Emory student and climate campaigner Ava Trachtenberg described the PSC's ruling as 'catastrophic,' referencing the lengthy operational life of the new gas plants.
'By 2075, I'll be 70,' Trachtenberg shared. 'I hope to have kids and possibly grandkids then. I'm terrified about the legacy you'll leave me and the one I'll pass on to them.'
To illustrate the human side, consider how such decisions affect everyday people: Rising energy bills could strain family budgets, while worsening air quality might lead to more health issues, like respiratory problems, especially in vulnerable communities near power plants.
Do you agree that balancing energy reliability with environmental protection is a zero-sum game, or could innovative solutions like advanced batteries make dispatchable fossil fuels obsolete? Is it fair to penalize utilities for planning based on current regulations, or should they be held to higher standards now? Share your thoughts in the comments – do you side with the environmentalists, the utility's expansion plans, or somewhere in between?
A note of disclosure
This reporting is backed by a collaboration with Green South Foundation and Journalism Funding Partners. Learn more and contribute to our environmental journalism by donating at AJC.com/donate/climate (http://ajc.com/donate/climate/).
Kristi Swartz is an AJC contributing writer specializing in climate change and its effects. She explores how global warming touches lives, from escalating extreme weather events across Georgia to climbing costs for electricity, insurance, and medical care.
Kristi Swartz is an AJC contributing writer specializing in climate change and its effects. She explores how global warming touches lives, from escalating extreme weather events across Georgia to climbing costs for electricity, insurance, and medical care.
